DeLauro Statement on Republican Air Travel Crisis
WASHINGTON – Today, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued a statement following security-check delays at airports in Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta and across the country.
“Republican leadership is currently blocking my bill to fully fund TSA. If Speaker Johnson allowed my bill to receive a vote, we could resolve this issue immediately. Instead, they are choosing to hold TSA officers and Americans’ travel hostage to force Members of Congress to give even more money to ICE and CBP without the guardrails against abuse a vast majority of Americans want to see.
“After firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week, over the weekend President Trump announced he would not sign any legislation until a Republican overhaul of federal elections was passed. Both President Trump and Republican leadership are responsible for the chaos at America’s airports. I encourage them to stop their partisan games, and pass my bill to fund TSA, along with FEMA, the Coast Guard, Secret Service, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the law-abiding components of Homeland Security while negotiations continue on ICE and CBP.”
In order to keep our communities safe from ICE and CBP, Democrats are demanding the following major reforms:
- No deportation or detention of U.S. Citizens
- Prohibit operations at sensitive locations like schools, houses of worship and polling places
- Require agents to get a warrant from a judge before kicking in someone’s door
- No masks
- Clear identifying information on uniforms
- End racial profiling
- Establish use of force policy in law
- Allow independent investigations into misconduct
- Mandate use of body-worn cameras
Ranking Member DeLauro’s bill provides full funding for the following agencies:
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including the Disaster Relief Fund
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
- U.S. Secret Service
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)
- Science & Technology Directorate (S&T)
- Office of Inspector General (OIG)
- Federal Protective Service
The bill does not include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, or the Office of the Secretary.
Full text of the bill (H.R. 7481) can be found here.
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